LUCKY SEVENS
Rugby and Entertainment Take Flight as Hong Kong Sevens Christens New Kai Tak Stadium
Sponsored by Cathay Pacific, the weekend-long event featured performances from Kaiser Chiefs and Pete Tong, among others
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Brit rockers Kaiser Chiefs and legendary DJ Pete Tong were among the musical headliners at the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament last month, which also doubled as the debut event at the city’s new Kai Tak Stadium.
Sponsored by Hong Kong’s home airline carrier, Cathay Pacific, the weekend-long event brought out more than 110,000 fans, according to organizers, topping previous tournament attendance records. Argentina took home the men’s title (winning for the first time), while the dominant New Zealand women’s team repeated as Hong Kong Sevens champs for the second year in a row.
The fast-paced tournament featured a whopping 72 matches over three days, which each match lasting just 14 minutes in Rugby Sevens play. In addition to the action on the field, musical acts like Kaiser Chiefs, Tong, Italian singer GALA and Cantopop band RubberBand kept the crowd entertained, with rollicking sets of some of their biggest hits (think “I Predict a Riot” and “Everyday I Love You Less and Less” from the Chiefs, and “Freed from Desire” from GALA, a Eurodance song that has taken on a life of its own as an anthem for sporting clubs around the world). Local dance troupes doubled as cheerleaders in between matches, while the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens Fan Village offered live performances, DJs and interactive experiences for fans lined up outside. Inside the stadium, rugby diehards packed the infamous South Stand in full costume — and full voice — lending even more energy to the proceedings.
Cathay Pacific was also given a prime showcase during the tournament. As the exclusive Founding Travel Partner of Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP), the airline received a special fly-by during the final day of play, with a Cathay A350 plane breaking through the clouds at Victoria Harbour just next to the stadium. The fly-past was especially symbolic, as the new Sports Park sits on the site of the old Hong Kong International Airport in Kai Tak — Cathay Pacific’s iconic longtime home base.
Hong Kong Sevens was the inaugural event at Kai Tak Stadium, with a Coldplay concert taking place just a few weeks later. The stadium will also host top Asian artists like Jay Chou, Singaporean singer JJ Lin and Taiwanese rockers Mayday in the next few months, along with sporting events ranging from martial arts to tennis. While Cathay Pacific isn’t officially sponsoring all of the events, the airline notes that it will “work in close collaboration to support KTSP in delivering world-class sporting, cultural and entertainment experiences to a global audience.”
2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the first recorded flight from Kai Tak airport, and while the airport is now closed, Hong Kong continues to be a popular destination for tourists, with Cathay Pacific having the most daily flights into the new Hong Kong International Airport (a.k.a. Chek Lap Kok). The airline is also debuting some new programs to promote the city, including on-board partnerships with Michelin-starred, Hong Kong-based French restaurant Louise, and Michelin-starred Duddell’s, known for its elevated take on Chinese “comfort” dishes. Passengers in business and first class can select from a variety of signature dishes from both restaurants to enjoy on their flights, subject to availability — think everything from duck to seafood to Duddell’s famous Iberico pork belly in a sweet soy sauce glaze (tip: we suggest pre-ordering your meal in advance to ensure that you get it).
Cathay has also launched its own original musical composition, which soundtracks passenger journeys through the airline’s luxe lounges and as they board and disembark the planes. Dubbed the “Song of Cathay,” the instrumental track is billed as an “uplifting, inspirational and journey-like musical composition” designed to captivate customers by “evoking fond memories of travel, capturing the spirit of adventure, and exuding the warm sense of hospitality that embodies every journey flown with Cathay Pacific.”
More musical moments from Cathay: the airline’s robust entertainment offerings include exclusive sit-down “CX Interviews” with many of Hong Kong’s most popular artists and entertainers, including Nicholas Tse, Sandra Ng and global sensations, Mirror.
You can find out more about Cathay Pacific’s latest routes and offerings at CathayPacific.com. The 2025 Rugby Sevens series, meantime, wraps up in Los Angeles May 3-4 (find tickets here).